Page Yurimi of Queenscove?
by BlueGryphon
Summary: Surely Jonathan isn't going to refuse to let Neal's daughter become a page when it's already been predicted? Luckily, the Lady Knights have a plan.
1. Default Chapter

King Jonathan of Tortall sighed deeply, running fingers through his silky grey beard. He was no longer as young as he used to be, and it was on days like this that he really felt it. His once black hair was almost pure white; his beard a pale grey. His body was no longer as athletic as before, and he was starting to get arthritis in his joints. It did not help that his wife remained as beautiful as ever, nor that his friend Alanna's hair had remained stubbornly coppery and was only just beginning to show grey even now. Just a few days ago, he had received a letter from Duke Nealan of Queenscove, one of the most important nobles in the kingdom. He had been enquiring about having his eldest daughter trained as a page - it was his wife, the Yamani Lady Yukimi's idea apparently. Yurimi, the girl in question, had never struck him as the sort of girl who would make a good knight, although he had accepted a few since Keladry of Mindelan, one of Nealan's companions as a page. She was quiet, shy and submissive, never speaking unless spoken too and never joining in some of the rough and tumble games that the other palace youngsters were fond of. No, Jon had decided she'd be much better off, and far happier, at the convent with the other girls her age. Jonathan had felt that he knew the girl well enough to make an informed decision, and had thus not consulted Owen of Jesslaw, the Training Master, or his wife.  
  
At that point, his personal guard, a large muscular man from the King's Own, who was unlikely to be impressed by fancy titles, interrupted his thoughts. Stepping nervously into the room, King Jonathan could see that he was sweating heavily with apprehension. At that point, the king became rather worried. Was there flooding? Fires? Bandits or.  
"Lady Alanna of Olau, Trebond and Pirates Swoop, Lady Keladry of Masbolle and New Hope and Baron Owen of Jesslaw, your Majesty," the luckless man announced quickly, then prudently withdraw as quickly as he could and shut the doors firmly behind him. There was not a chance he was going to let himself be caught in the action that was about to occur.  
  
Jonathan looked up apprehensively. This was far worse than any natural disaster, more so because none of the three believed that the king was always right and Alanna in particular had no problems telling him that in public. They were a formidable trio. Young Owen was the Training Master. Alanna was the King's Champion, and the world famous hero who had claimed the Dominion Jewel for Tortall back in her youth. Keladry was second in command to Lord Wyldon; the elderly supreme commander of the Tortallan regular army and her husband was the Knight Commander of the King's Own- probably one of the reasons the guard had withdrawn so quickly. Lady Alanna also rode often with the Own, and her temper was legendary. None of them looked happy.  
"Jon, have you taken leave of your senses?" demanded Alanna, hotly.  
"I believe I am in full control of my thoughts, thank you," Jon replied, hoping this wasn't about what he thought it was.  
"You turned down the most promising girl I've seen since Keladry and you say you're still sane. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were losing your grip on reality!"  
"You needn't deny it, your Majesty," Keladry added, slightly more politely. "Lady Yukimi sent a courier to me as soon as they heard."  
"Very well, I did. Yurimi is a sweet girl, but she has no backbone, unlike your young Alanna, who you will note I encouraged coming as a page. She'll be far happier at the convent."  
"That shows how well you know her - I think she'd surprise you if you took the time to find out. Is that your final answer to this despite all of our advice, you pig headed Stormwing?" Alanna, Jonathan noted, did not spare him any of her feelings, but there was no way he was going to back down now, after all, they were prejudiced towards girl pages.  
"Yes, I have made my decision."  
"Very well, your Majesty," Alanna replied, condemnation in her very words. She never called him Your Majesty except on state occasions. Jonathan winced. "You'll just have to do without our services at the palace until you change your mind. We'll find ourselves work, as far from the palace as possible!"  
  
She and Keladry spun and strode angrily out. The guard stood trembling behind the door he'd just opened and stayed there until they were out of sight. Owen stayed, looking a bit embarrassed.  
"I have to see I'd agree with them, but I'm staying. Some of us have pages to train, and I'm not letting Keladry's daughter suffer for want of a competent or prejudiced teacher." He bowed, something the lady knights had somehow omitted, and left. Jon groaned loudly as his wife slipped in.  
"Not you too."  
"I think Alanna expressed my views well enough without me repeating them. I heard them quite clearly, as did the rest of the palace I suppose. You've gone and set her off again, haven't you?"  
"I'm not backing down now."  
"Idiot."  
  
Alanna and Keladry stormed outside in a wrathful silence. They had reached the practice courts before cooling down enough to talk calmly. The other knights there took one look at their faces and vanished for other haunts. Having checked that no one was in earshot, Kel asked,  
"Shall we go for it then?"  
"Jesslaw agreed?"  
"Of course."  
"And young Tobe?"  
"He was overjoyed. I think he gets lonely."  
"Do you know when she was leaving?"  
"This morning, Yuki wrote to me."  
"Excellent, and we have people on every route to delay them for us to catch up?"  
"Yes. Raoul is in Goldenlake, Dom's in Masbolle, and didn't you say George is in Olau and Thom in Trebond?"  
"Yes, shall we leave then? It's going to take us a few days to catch up at this rate." 


	2. Chapter 2

Neither woman of the pair was the young hero that they had once been, but both knights were in good fighting trim and they were well able to keep up a breakneck pace as they raced up northwards. It was familiar countryside to both of them, and there were plenty of friends en route to get supplies from.  
  
They reached a small camp the next evening. It was a small group, Kel noted with disapproval: just two men at arms and a maid plus Yurimi herself. Neal's slipping, she thought, getting soft. There was a day he wouldn't have let her out without a full cohort! The three adults were sitting talking around the fire, and Yurimi, who wasn't visible, was supposedly asleep in the carriage.  
  
Alanna and Kel had dismounted a while away and tethered their horses to a tree. They had then continued on foot, worming their way gradually closer. They were almost at the camp when a girl appeared, hurrying along a pathway. The two knights vanished into the undergrowth. She was carrying a glaive unsheathed in her hands and had a travelling pack and bedroll strapped securely to her back. Kel grinned. Weak-willed was probably the worst description possible that the king could have used for Yurimi.  
  
"Shh," Kel whispered, as she motioned to Alanna to stay back. "It's only me."  
"Aunt Kel?" Yuri whispered back suspiciously. She pushed through the bushes to where Alanna and Kel were crouched, then relaxed as she recognised them. Kel hugged her.  
"Yes, we came to find you. I take it you don't want to go to the convent? But do you still want to be a page?"  
"Oh yes, but the King said no, so I guess I can't. Mother suggested I should try to get to the Yamani Isles."  
"Don't bother with that. We've thought of another way to make you a knight, even if the king didn't strictly give his permission. The Training Master has agreed."  
"Where do I go?"  
"You ride pillion with me. We're going up north to the Scanran frontier - I hold lands jointly with a friend up there, and its perfect for learning combat."  
  
Yurimi gasped. She could hardly believe her luck. She had almost resigned herself to the convent at one point, when it became clear that her guards were taking their duties seriously. This had been her first chance to slip away, and she had taken it. Instead of the hated convent, which she had been running away from anyway, or a rather disappointed life at the Yamani court, she was going to be a page. She wondered for a moment exactly how she could be a page without going to the palace to study under the Training Master, but gave up. Her father had always said you could trust Lady Keladry with your life, so if she said it was okay, it must be.  
  
Before long, they were riding on through the night, Yuri bouncing along quite happily behind Kel. The horse, naturally, was not quite so pleased with the arrangement however light she was. They set up camp when the knights judged they were a safe distance away from any search parties looking for a solitary girl on foot.  
  
Yurimi was sent for firewood while the knights put up the tent with a practised ease. Then Yuri ran through a pattern dance with her glaive - she had, after all, promised her mother - before she was unceremoniously sent to bed. Yuri curled up quite happily in her small corner of the tent, and soon she was asleep.  
  
Yurimi woke quite early the next morning, and dressed slowly, taking care not to strain her abused leg muscles, which had begun to ache most inconveniently. The tent, Yuri saw, was quite empty apart from her, and the flap was hanging loosely open. From outside came the crackling of a fire, and the clangs of swords clashing. She stuck her tousled head out, and saw them finishing an intricate bout with wooden practice swords.  
  
When they'd done, Kel looked round and noticed her watching.  
"Morning Yurimi," Kel said cheerfully. "Do you have your glaive handy by any chance?"  
"Of course, Aunt Keladry." Alanna collected up the swords, packed them neatly and began to make breakfast. Keladry, a seasoned knight for many years, fought Yurimi, only just ten years old, and struggled to hold her own.  
"You're good," Kel said, as she managed to win at last. Pack your glavie ready for travelling, and I'll explain our idea."  
  
Yuri ran off happily, and packed her things up, bringing them out ready to be slung onto a horse for the next stage of the journey.  
"Now Yuri," Kel continued as she listened eagerly. "Our idea is that instead of being a page at the palace, you'll come up instead to New Hope on the Scanran border. I hold a part share in those lands, with the young lord there. This is the same method of training as he went through a few years ago, so there is a clear precedent. There are easily enough people up there to teach you everything, including Lord Wyldon, who was the Training Master when I was a page. Baron Owen of Jesslaw is sending us all of the textbooks you're likely to need and a list of everything you need to know. You'll be on a routine as close to the schedule of the standard pages as we can make it, although knowing your parents I suspect you're very well prepared academically."  
  
"That sounds great. Will I be serving you then, Aunt Kel?"  
"Yes, and as you are, I'm going to have to insist that you're formal. I expect you know what that means, since you're accustomed to Yamani court manners."  
"Yes my lady."  
"Then we'll do fine. Packed up your things onto Silvermoon?"  
"No, my lady."  
"Do so, then we'll eat."  
  
Yuri bowed, somewhat shakily, it must be admitted. She was adjusting mentally to her 'Tortall' manners. Being half Yamani, and having to visit there regularly, had meant that she had had to learn two entire sets of formal manners in as much detail as her parents and tutors could teach her. Of course, she had learnt the correct etiquette for girls, and would now have to change slightly since pages all acted like boys. This wouldn't be as hard as it sounded, since she had often helped her younger brother with his lessons. 


	3. Chapter 3

It was midday when they came at last to their destination. Yuri, by this time, was aching all over - riding pillion was one of the most uncomfortable ways to travel that she could imagine. They were now at a walled village in the style of the northern border where the villages must be protected from Scanran raiders. The villagers appeared to know Lady Keladry very well, since they mobbed them as soon as they rode through the gates. Kel's flag of the Mindelan owl quartered with the Masbolle lion was run up the flagpole on top of the main barracks and administration building. Next to it was a flag bearing rearing horse that Yuri didn't recognise as belonging to any particular family or guard unit.  
  
A young man came out of the building at a run. He skidded to a halt under the indulging gazes of the villagers and bowed politely to Alanna. Then, unable to resist it any longer, he flung himself on Kel. Yuri looked on curiously. Who was he? At last he calmed down.  
"Welcome to Fief New Hope, Lady Alanna. Meech will show you to your quarters."  
"It's a pleasure to be here, Sir Tobe."  
"Lady Keladry?"  
"Kel, please Tobe, we dropped the my lady years ago. My usual rooms, I suppose? Give my page your old room then, she's going to serve as you did so kindly leave her off the work schedule please."  
"Of course."  
  
Kel led Yuri up to a small room next to a larger one that obviously belonged to the knight. It was a pleasant but plain room, containing a bed, clothes chest, shelving and, of course, a weapons rack. There were already uniforms of New Hope sky blue and Masbolle black waiting there for her - this had obviously been planned a long time ago, or else prepared very quickly and efficiently. Yuri suspected the latter, since no one would have known for sure until the King made his final (unfair) decision.  
  
Yuri changed out of her now somewhat battered dress. Too bad, she'd never liked it anyway and she'd much rather be wearing the practical, comfortable pages' (i.e. boys') clothes that had been laid out for her. She unpacked the very few belongings she'd brought with her. Having thought that she'd have to carry it all herself, she'd been rather sparser than she might otherwise have been.  
  
After that, Yuri straightened up her uniform, brushed her hair into a semblance of neatness and went outside. A long line of soldiers was filing slowly into a long, one storey building nearby. They all looked quite old, and wore the uniforms of the regular army, not those of the fief as Yuri would otherwise have expected. When she built up the courage, she went up to a grizzled looking veteran with greying hair.  
"Excuse me sir, where can I find Lady Keladry?" she asked, taking care to be respectful in case he was an officer.  
"Let me see, young sir. You'll be the page then, won't cha? It's just past midday now, so she'll be along 'ere soon enough for her own grub, don't you worry. Always eats with us, her an' young Lord Tobe. Good 'un she is, not like my old lord back home. Queue here, an' you'll be served wi' th' rest o' us."  
"Thank you, uh Sergeant? I'm Yurimi of Queenscove."  
"Pleased ta meet you. I'm Sergeant Jem Smithers of the New Hope Militia."  
  
When at last Yuri progressed into the hall and collected the solid soldiers' fare that passed for food, she looked shyly around the hall for somewhere to sit. She had never been to any place like this before, although she assumed it followed a plan common to most soldiers' mess halls. Long tables stretched lengthwise from one end up to the dais, and wooden benches ran alongside them. At the far end was a small dais, on which stood a shorter table placed at right angles to the rest so that the nobles eating there faced the soldiers. There were three men sitting there so far, but there was no sign of either Lady Keladry or Lady Alanna. One man was the youth who had greeted Yuri's new knight mistress so exuberantly earlier. He looked a friendly, open man, especially for a noble since so many of them learned as children to hide their feelings. He wore his blond hair cropped short as most peasants did, nobles tending to prefer an old fashioned, longer cut and his blue eyes twinkled as he caught sight of her looking so uncertain.  
  
He beckoned her over when he caught her eye.  
"My lord?" she asked, finding that she was unable to bow whilst carrying her food tray. He smiled infectiously at her.  
"Here, sit down. I don't think we were properly introduced. I'm Tobe. You can eat here for today, but Kel that tomorrow you go down to be with the other youngsters. They're sitting over there. All a bit older than you, I should think, but that's what she says. When you're practised enough, you'll be waiting on us too, but that's unlikely to be for a few months. Luckily for you, your books won't arrive for a few days, and trust me, I know how many there are."  
"Yes my lord, I can imagine."  
"You're a Queenscove, aren't you?"  
"Why, yes my lord. Yurimi of Queenscove."  
"Your father was here once, during the last major war with Scanra. I was only a boy then, about your age probably. Has he ever told you about it?"  
"Yes, my lord," Yurimi said, grinning. "He called it 'that miserable mudpit, but it doesn't seem that bad to me."  
"That sounds like something Neal would say," Tobe said, smiling back. "But then things have changed quite a bit. We're far more civilised now than when this was a common refugee camp. Lady Keladry was in command, her first proper command, and I was her servant. That's probably how I landed this job. She had a different horse then, Peachblossom. Probably the worst tempered and most troublesome horse that I've ever seen, but he and my lady got on fine. He used to bite your father all the time. He told me it was just because he squealed so satisfactorily - I have horse magic, you see." Yuri could easily understand that - the number of pranks she and her brother had pulled off for no particular reason except to see the expression on his face.  
  
Just then, Lady Keladry arrived.  
"What are you telling her, Tobe?"  
"Nothing about you," he replied quickly, looking rather like a boy of Kel's own age caught in the process of mischief. "I was just saying about Neal and Peachblossom."  
"That temperamental old brute," Kel said affectionately. "I still miss him. You can sit down Yurimi." This was to Yuri, who had risen politely at her entrance.  
"I think the first thing will be weapons. I saw you have a glaive of course, and I think we'll just need practice on that - after all, I don't think there will be much I can teach you. Do you have any other weapons?"  
"No, my lady. My father only let me bring my glaive because mother insisted."  
"Then we'll issue you some from the army stores. There'll be no problems with that - its something every capable soldier at New Hope is entitled to and by the time I'm done you will be competent. I know you won't have a horse, so we'll be riding to Fort Mastiff tomorrow to buy one off Lord Wyldon. He trains the best horses there are around, and Tobe helps him so we'll be able to get a good one for a fair price. Then, let's see, I'll have young Meech give you a tour after we've eaten. After that, I'd like you to explore yourself, and possibly get to know a few people. If you're commanding, or ruling, a small place like this, it's very important to know your subordinates. You really have the time to yourself. I'd advise that you turn in early tonight. It's been a long day, and we have an early start tomorrow." 


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: since someone asked if Kel was married to Lord Raoul, I'll specify that Keladry of Masbolle and New Hope is married to Lord Raoul's successor as commander of the Own, Domitan of Masbolle.  
  
Yuri was woken early the next bell as a loud bell startled her from her dreams. She sat up, confused, but soon, as she began to wake up properly, realised what it must be. Getting slowly and carefully out of bed, she splashed her face with the cold water in her basin, and pulled on her uniform. It was a rather nice uniform, at least in her opinion, since it showed off her black hair nicely. It consisted of a pale blue tunic belted over black shirt, hose and leggings.  
  
At that point, someone knocked quietly on the door. "Miss? Are ye awake?" Yuri opened the door and saw the man who had shown her around the previous day.  
"Good morning," she said, yawning widely.  
"Page Yurimi? I'm Meech, an' I'm t' be lookin' after ye. Anything I can do for ye?" Yuri thought for a moment, absently fingering her shoulder-length black hair. It was all right for her normal home life, or a tedious existence at the convent, she thought, but if she was doing weapons work it would be very inconvenient.  
"Would you trim my hair for me? So it's about as short as Lord Tobe's?"  
"Of course I can, though it won't be as neat a job as some fancy servant. It t'will make it easier when yer fightin', won't it? I'll find a basin and do it properly then."  
  
Yuri went uncomfortably into the mess hall for breakfast about twenty minutes later. She could feel the chilly northern air brushing the back of her neck, and it felt very strange to her. Rather self-consciously, she slid into a seat squeezed between to of the militia recruits - these were the youngsters pointed out to her the previous day. There were nine of them, aged between approximately fourteen and eighteen years old by the looks of them - all much larger and taller than she was. They were all boys. One of them decided it would probably be best to talk to her.  
"Hello there, new recruit?"  
"No, I'm a page."  
"That explains you being so young then. I'm Merric Lofts, at your service. Course, I'm not 'zackly a recruit myself, but I will be as soon as I'm old enough. I'm thirteen now, and you have to be fifteen to join. My father's the commander of the militia; he's ranked as a Sergeant Major in the army. I've been living with the militia since I was five, cos Ma was killed in a Scanran raid and it was easier for Da without worrying about me."  
"I'm Yuri, I'm ten." The boys were, on closer examination, definitely older than she was. Even Merric, a dark skinned boy with black hair and odd grey eyes looked much older than thirteen.  
"Uh, are you a girl or a boy?" Merric asked, looked somewhat embarrassed at having to ask. "I mean, I know most pages are boys, but you might be one of the exceptions." Yuri smiled.  
"I'm a girl."  
"Gosh, good thing I asked. You look like a boy with your hair like that."  
  
After eating, Yuri raced out to meet Lady Keladry in the stables. The knight was there before her, and was standing outside holding the reins of two horses. One Yuri recognised as her gelding, Trojan. The other was a rather elderly mare.  
"Hello Yuri, nice morning, isn't it? You'll be riding Buttercup there, and we'll lead her back with us. Mount up, and we'll go straight away."  
  
Yuri bowed and swung up into the saddle. The Lady Knight pushed Trojan into a trot, and they were off. Kel waved cheerfully at the guards manning the gates as they opened them for the pair to pass. The roads, Yuri observed distastefully, appeared to be little more than dirt tracks.  
  
Suddenly Yuri thought of something.  
"Lady Keladry," she began. "When did Lady Alanna leave? I haven't seen her today."  
"Sun up this morning. She's picking up my daughter and her oldest grandson as she rides down, since they're both to start at the palace. You'd probably like young Danil, he's bookish like your father, and very stubborn. I suppose you'll be meeting him when you go next year."  
"You really think his Majesty will agree."  
"With all of us working on it, he can't refuse once you've proved you're better than the boys." Yuri sighed - it looked like more work.  
"Yes my lady."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Yuri could see Fort Mastiff as she came out of the forest. Her first thought was the rather predictable 'IT'S HUGE!!!!'. The walled fortress was decorated with the colourful Scanran shields captured in battle. These would also serve as a warning to any would be conquerors that this wasn't an easy target. Yuri could see what looked like army regulars lining the walls as she rode closer. The gates swung open before them, and Lady Keladry led her confidently in.  
  
A squire ran up to them as they dismounted. He looked, to Yuri's inexperienced eye, rather hassled, but she later learned that this was a common expression for boys greeting important visitors. He bowed to Yuri's mistress deeply with great respect.  
"Welcome to Fort Mastiff, Lady Keladry. Lord Wyldon will see you in his study if you'll permit me to take your horses."  
"Thank you Warric."  
  
Yuri followed Lady Keladry rather shyly into the fort. Kel seemed to know her way around perfectly, so Yuri looked around curiously as she walked the proper pace behind to her right. The path they followed led between orderly barracks, past soldiers who saluted smartly as they passed. There were no animals running loose here, no children playing and no washing flapping outside in the breeze. It was, after all, a military camp.  
  
They came at last to the main administration building and in, to Lord Wyldon's study door. He was, to quote himself, 'no longer young but as grouchy as ever'. After all, he had a reputation to maintain. Once a strict conservative thoroughly against female knights, he had mellowed considerably with age.  
"Keladry," Wyldon said as they came in, without looking up. Yuri had been rather doubtful about barging in without knocking, but it was obviously what was expected. "Welcome to Mastiff. Take a seat. Have you anything to report?"  
"No, sir."  
"Then why are you here," he said, seeming not to notice Yurimi hovering by the door. Keladry was smiling indulgently. She was well used to his quirks.  
  
"I need a horse for my new page. Tobe said that he had helped to train some here."  
"Come on then, we'll go out to the stables," the elderly knight said, levering himself to his feet. "You too, lad."  
"Lass, sir," his former pupil corrected him with a grin. "Yurimi of Queenscove. Neal and the king are kicking up a fuss about her paging at the palace with the boys, so I ah intercepted her on the way to the convent and brought her here."  
"Kidnapped her, you mean?"  
"Well, Yurimi did want to come."  
"Not your fault then. Young idiot, Nealan, always was. He talked too much as well. Do you remember how I was always having to threaten to gag him to make him shut up? Brightest things he ever did were sponsoring you and marrying that Yamani girl. Keep at it, page. It's been proven to me twice now that a girl can do as well as the boys." Keladry smiled rather wryly at that.  
"Thank you, my lord," Yuri stammered.  
"Come on then! I do happen to have a couple of horses in the stable now, as you knew before you came. Here we are, he's one of them."  
  
The horse Wyldon was indicating was a chestnut gelding with white socks. He objectively ignored them, concentrating instead on his hay. Keladry shook her head and they moved on. The next stall along had a bay in it.  
"Mare," Lord Wyldon told them abruptly. "Two years old, nice temper." She came willingly and nuzzled Yuri's hand. Patting her gently, Yuri glanced over at the third horse.  
  
He was a beautiful white gelding, taller than either of the other two. He eyed them warily as they approached his door. Yuri walked slowly up to him and stroked his nose. He soon calmed down.  
"He's lovely!" exclaimed Yuri. "May I try him, my lord?"  
"Well what else are you here for? Of course you can. His saddle's in the tack-room, bottom right."  
  
He was an easy, patient horse to saddle, and soon Yuri was out admiring his smooth gait. She rode back to where the two knights were waiting. Yuri dismounted and looked pleadingly at Lady Keladry. The knight smiled and walked off, talking quietly to Wyldon. Soon they were finished and both looked satisfied. Yuri had been thinking hard about what to name him.  
"Cirrus," she said quietly. "I'll call you Cirrus."  
"It's a type of cloud in Yamani, sir," Kel said, translating for Wyldon. "Saddle up Trojan for me, Yurimi, and bring him here with Buttercup. You'll be leading her back if you think you can manage. "  
  
Yuri tethered Cirrus loosely to a ring and jogged off in the direction she hoped would bring her to the guests' stable. Meanwhile, Kel was saying goodbye to her commander and former teacher. Clapping her solidly on the back, he sent them cheerfully on their way. 


	5. Chapter 5

When they came out of the gloomy and seemingly endless forest that was common in this part of the world into the fields surrounding the prosperous fief, Kel squinted anxiously into the son ahead.  
"Stop Yuri!" she called, looking worried. Yuri pulled Cirrus to a halt, turning back ready to obey orders but feeling rather confused as to why.  
  
"Yurimi, do you have a sword with you?" Keladry asked urgently.  
"No, my lady, I don't know how to use one anyway."  
"Any weapon?"  
"No, my lady."  
"You should never ride out here without a weapon. Take my glaive. We're being raided."  
"R-raided?"  
"Yes, Scanrans unless I'm much mistaken. Tie Buttercup to your saddle and ride as fast as you can for the postern gate. You know where that is, don't you?"  
"Yes, of course."  
"Don't be pert. If you're attacked, fight, but avoid it if possible. I must stay and help the farmers, but you're untrained and young, and I want you safe. Now, go!"  
  
Yuri stared nervously at the village, took the glaive, and pressed her heels to Cirrus's sides. As they sprang into a gallop, Yuri swished the Yamani blade. It was a beauty, made of fine Yamani steel and was far better than hers, which was her mother's old practice one.  
  
Most of the men Lady Keladry had seen were a long way off and on foot. She didn't know why, but the Scanrans didn't tend to have mounted soldiers in the same way as Tortall. Thanking the gods profusely that she had been taught to ride without reins, Yurimi clutched the weapon tightly with both hands. Five swarthy Scanran men had seen her and were waiting in her path to cut her down. Yuri swerved to one side of them and slashed at the left most man. He fell, clutching his open chest as if to stop it bleeding, although he must have known there wasn't a chance with a wound that deep. His neighbour stabbed at her with a rusting sword. She parried, knocking it down away from her unprotected chest and a searing pain shot through her body. With all the energy she had remaining to her, she grimly pushed the edge of her glaive into his neck. Then Cirrus bolted of his own accord towards the now open gate.  
  
When she was safely in, she collapsed gladly into Lord Tobe's arms. He laid her gently on the dusty ground by the stable, and put comforting hands on the horses' backs as he led them off to the stable. There were times when he was very glad of his horse magic. However Yurimi of Queenscove, page to Masbolle, had quietly fainted.  
  
When she came to a few seconds later, he was back and bending anxiously over her.  
"Are you okay?" he asked.  
"Yes, my lord," Yuri groaned. Tobe looked doubtful. She tried to sit up, and yelped. Now he was sure something was wrong.  
"Your leg!" he exclaimed. "Stay still and I'll bandage it for you until the healer can see you. This will hurt."  
  
Carefully the young lord cut back her hose to bare a gaping red wound in her thigh. He looked at it grimly and began to work. Yuri took one look at it and vomited the contents of her stomach onto the ground beside her. Tobe dabbed away at the blood and dirt then bound it up tightly. Yuri gritted her teeth, determined not to disgrace herself again by crying out, throwing up or fainting.  
"There, that's done," he said at last. "It sounds like the fighting is over too. I'll go and help with the horses. You stay here, and that's an order. There's nothing more that you can do today since you're wounded."  
"Can I have some rags, my lord. To clean Lady Keladry's glaive?"  
"Of course, she has some in the stable. Here you are, remind me to put them pack when you're done."  
"Yes my lord, thank you."  
  
During the next hour, Yuri busied herself with returning the prized weapon to its shining original state, diligently mopping off the blood. The are around the stables was bustling with soldiers and villagers coming back and returning to their everyday work. The stable boys were kept busy grooming, and a few of the more gravely wounded combatants were helped off by their friends to the infirmary. No one had time to worry about the new page, sitting by herself cleaning her knight mistress's glaive. After all, that was her job.  
  
When at last the corpses had been buried, the dead men's weapons and armour picked up and Lady Keladry satisfied that all was safe again, she herself returned at last and came over to see Yuri.  
"I'm glad you made it through, I don't know what I'd have said to your parents if you got killed in your first week. Oh well done, I'm not sure many first timers would have cleaned their weapon afterwards - I was already planning your punishment work. Why are you still here? I would have thought someone would have pressed you into service."  
  
The hazel eyes twinkled cheerfully down at where the page was sitting, comfortably propped up against the stable wall.  
"My leg - Lord Tobe said that the healer would see to it and to wait here until he came to collect me. He bandaged it for me when I came in."  
"You're wounded? Still, it can't be too serious if her left you here. We'd better go to the healer anyway: sometimes his bandages are somewhat rudimentary. Don't worry, I'll help you in."  
  
With a strong pull, Keladry had Yuri on her feet, and pulled her unprotesting body up onto her strong back. She wasn't going to risk letting the girl walk and possibly make her wound worse.  
"We'll teach you sword as soon as you're proficient with a staff, which I suspect won't be long since you're so good with a glaive. Now, this is Sir Martin of Nicoline, our resident healer. He's the son of a friend of mine. Tobe cleaned Yurimi's wound and bandaged it, Martin, but I think it's probably pretty bad."  
  
"Come on then youngster," the young noble said comfortingly as he removed the bandage. "Hmmm, yes, quite nasty." He placed a cool palm over it and green fire flowed steadily into the wound. "There, it'll heal now. Stay off it for the next few days, and no weapons training for at least a week. I'll decide when you start, so don't do anything of that sort without my express permission. Academics you may do of course, and if you must be useful, you can do something sitting down like cleaning tack. Anything wrong with you, Lady Kel?"  
"No Martin, not a scratch. I'll get Yuri up to her rooms for now. You've just increased your own workload. I'm intending to double her academics if weaponry is forbidden, and you're teaching her about magic, immortals, and also plants and animals. You're not Gifted, are you Yurimi?"  
"No, my lady."  
"Then that will be it for you, Martin. I'll take her for etquette and most of the weapons work. My clerks can handle reading, writing and mathematics. Then, I'll have Sir Geoffrey take history. No assignments, but Yurimi, you'll also be attending all of the militia's evening lectures on tactics, field medicine and surgery which we all agree you need to know even if it isn't on the standard curriculum."  
"I have a class in all that every day my lady?!"  
"Oh yes, and in the afternoons, when you've recovered enough, we'll be doing unarmed combat, archery, staff fighting, fencing, jousting and riding. You're also Yamani, and your mother wouldn't want you slipping, so we'll work out with glaives as well."  
  
Martin and Keladry laughed at the expression on Yuri's face.  
"Come on then, Page Yurimi," she said, "let's get you up to bed." 


	6. Chapter 6

"Yurimi!" Yuri heard Merric, now a recruit, yell down from the top of the wall. "Lord Wyldon and party sighted!"  
"Thanks!" she called back, waving to him in case he hadn't heard, and hurried to the gate, which was being slowly pulled open.  
  
It was a few weeks past Midwinter festival, when Yuri had served successfully at high table for the largest celebration of the Tortallan year. The last half year had brought her growth, confidence and a loss of the misleading quietness that had deceived so many people, including her own father.  
  
Now Lord Wyldon, the retired palace Training Master, was coming especially to New Hope to check up on her progress. The gates were finally fully opened and Lord Wyldon rode in, followed by a squire and two guards.  
"My lord," she said, bowing, and hoping desperately that she'd remember the formal words she'd been taught to use on such occasions. "Lady Keladry welcomes you to New Hope fief." She carefully took the reins of his horse and his squire's. "Merle will show your soldiers to the mess hall, and Meech, with your permission, Squire Warric, will guide you to the conference room where you can make the acquaintance of some of the resident nobles. Lady Keladry asks you to allow me to guide you to her office, my lord, since she believes it has moved since your last visit."  
  
Yuri suddenly began to panic. If she was meant, as she had been instructed, to guide Lord Wyldon in, who was going to take the horses? She couldn't just leave them there. Just then, two lanky youths in recruit colours came jogging up. Glen winked at her as he took the reins from her unprotesting hands; Yuri smiled thankfully back. Taking a deep breath, Yuri bowed once more and led Lord Wyldon into the main building. When they reached the study door, Yuri knocked, went in and bowed.  
"Lord Wyldon to see you, Lady Keladry," she announced, just as if he was totally unexpected. Keladry stood up respectfully.  
"See him in."  
"Yes my lady."  
  
Lord Wyldon stepped in and clasped hands with the Lady Knight over the desk. Then they sat down. Yuri hesitated uncertainly by the door. She hadn't, as far as she remembered, been told what to do with herself.  
"Shut the door and wait outside, Page Yurimi," Lady Keladry instructed. "And don't eavesdrop."  
  
Yuri stared at her in amazement. Had she ever given her mistress reason to mistrust her? Then Lord Wyldon laughed - it must be a private joke. She bowed hurriedly and took a post standing outside the door. Luckily, she couldn't have heard even it she tried, since the thick wood stopped all sound from within. At last, Lady Keladry opened the door.  
"Yurimi," she said briskly. "Conduct Lord Wyldon to his quarters. He will begin examining you tomorrow."  
"Yes my lady." Yuri bowed to them and led Lord Wyldon up to the next floor, where the guest quarters were located. It was a luxurious room, by border standards, and was probably better than what he had at Mastiff, which was an army camp.  
  
The next day, Yuri arrived in the mess hall in her best uniform; a towel draped neatly and precisely over one arm as she began to carefully serve the nobles at the head table. Luckily, they were always undemanding at breakfast, and she had plenty of time to eat her own meal before reporting to the small room adjoining the clerks' office where she had her lessons. Lord Wyldon had decided to stay with her normal timetable as he assessed her thoroughly. After a solid lunch, the one meal Yuri wasn't expected to serve at, she changed into practice clothes. These were just a simple white shirt and black hose of coarser, hard wearing material that were fairly standard for rough activity and would last her until she grew out of them.  
  
Then Yurimi went out to the practice courts. Warric, Lord Wyldon's squire, a tall, muscular sixteen-year-old, was waiting there with his knight master. After they had warmed up properly under his critical eye, Lord Wyldon watched them fight. As she had expected, she was thoroughly thrashed by him in everything but staffs. Still, he had had the benefits of seven years training, to her six months, and he just lacked the Yamani touch to best her at staffs as well.  
  
Yuri found it perfectly easy to perform the riding manoeuvres demanded of her. Then she took a few turns at the quintain, even hitting inside the ring once! Archery perhaps went the worst. It was understandable, since she had always used the different styled Yamani bow before, and was finding it difficult to adjust. She managed to string the bow, but had problems even hitting the target like many Tortallan six year olds were required to do, let along hit the gold.  
  
That evening, after dinner, Yuri was summoned to the study. She went in and bowed to the two knights. Then she stood apprehensively in front of the desk, hoping desperately that the report was good.  
"Well Yurimi," Kel said with a wry smile. "You survived. Now Lord Wydon wants to tell both of us how you've done."  
  
He cleared his throat authoritarily and began.  
"We'll start with your academics. Your history and etiquette were both excellent, although your knowledge of mathematics could do with a little more work. In reading and writing, immortals and nature studies, I would judge you to be abreast of the other pages your age. Then your weapons work. As you must know, this was less impressive. Your unarmed combat was not good, I'd recommend that you need to be more confident with the moves you know before adding any new ones. Your staff fighting was excellent, of course, but I assume you've been training with a glaive."  
"Yes, my lord. My mother has taught me since I was six."  
"As I thought. However, your fencing is very weak. That is apparently due to only starting recently, which means I can excuse it for the moment so long as you put in some good solid work in the next half year. Riding showed that you worked well with your gelding and your jousting was what I would expect from a first year page. The last thing was archery, and that was appalling! You definitely need to put more effort into that. On the whole, I believe I would say that you are much of the standard I expect from most first year pages, but if you work you could easily be among the best."  
"Thank you, my lord!" Yuri exclaimed happily at the unusual praise.  
  
Kel looked thoughtful - often an ominous thing for Yuri.  
"We ought to be able to adjust your timetable to allow more time for your weak subjects and slightly less for your strong ones. We could certainly cut down your basic riding and staff work, and I'll see what I can do about the rest. By your next visit sir, I want her exceptional." 


	7. Chapter 7

Yuri was worked every day from then until early summer so hard that she often fell asleep over her dinner, and had to be shaken awake each morning.  
  
That month, Yuri found herself riding proudly through the palace gates for the first time since she began her page training. It didn't matter to her that no one knew who she was, but she knew that she was here and as a page.  
  
She was with Sir Merric of Hollyrose, a red-haired knight who had been a page at the same time as Lady Keladry. She found him somewhat paranoid about disobeying the king, but he had still agreed to take her.  
  
"Now," he reminded her for the thousandth time since they'd left the north. "You are Page Yancen of Coll. Coll is a small fief in northern Galla where they grow potatoes. You have paged your uncle, Lord Baldwin for the past year, but your parents wanted a more formal, exacting education for you now that you're old enough to travel away from home. I am a distant cousin of yours, related on our mothers' sides. King Jonathan has kindly consented to allow you to take the end of year exams with the Tortallan first year pages, and if you do well enough he is considering letting you join them next year. Understand?"  
"Yes, Sir Merric."  
  
With her shortly cropped hair, Yurimi could, and was about to pass as a boy called Yancen. Lady Alanna had proved that it was possible to do this, and Yuri was determined not to fail. Keladry had arranged this for her using some of her many contacts. A great number of these believed that girls could become knights, possibly because they'd been pages with her and seen it proved.  
  
Yuri dismounted in the courtyard outside the stables, and an ostler came to take Cirrus from her as Sir Merric swung out of the saddle of his large war- horse and led her inside. He took her up to the Training Master's study, in a part of the palace Yuri had never been in before. The Training Master, a man called Owen of Jesslaw, looked up from behind huge mounds of paperwork as they entered quietly. He was still quite young to be in a position of such authority, but he was coping very well after his excellent training under Lord Wyldon as a page and squire. Baron Owen smiled secretively at Yurimi.  
"Hello Merric, good to see you looking so well," he said addressing the more important visitor first, according to protocol. Then Yuri remembered- Owen was another of Lady Keladry's page friends. Then he turned to her. "You'll be Yancen of Coll? Welcome to the palace. You already know, I believe, the duties of a page? Excellent, no more than I would expect given who has had the training of you. Very well, a servant will show you to your room, and I will see you later." Yuri bowed and straightened. Her eyes widened as Owen, almost imperceptibly, winked at her.  
  
A young serving man was waiting outside the door. He listened to his master's instructions, and led the page to the wing of the palace filled with boys - pages and squires alike. At last, having walked past the curious gazes of Yuri's future contemporaries, they stopped at a room which had 'Yancen of Coll' chalked onto a plaque firmly nailed onto the door. Yuri went in and found her things unpacked already, and waiting for her. Having checked carefully that all was in order and nothing was missing, she changed into her new palace livery of red and gold from the lurid crimson that was supposedly Coll's colour. Then she stepped bravely back out into the rapidly filling corridor outside her room.  
  
At last, Lord Owen arrived, and the pages gathered around him. Yuri remained hesitantly by her door as he strode up the corridor towards her.  
"Name and fief?" he asked her briskly, just as if they hadn't met a few minutes ago.  
"Yu." Yurimi caught herself just in time and answered clearly, "Yancen of Coll, my lord."  
"Who will sponsor Page Yancen?"  
"I will, my lord," a boy said. Yuri could see a disruption as he pushed his way towards the front.  
"Very well, young Trebond. Yancen, your sponsor keeps you from getting too lost, and is responsible for you until you learn your own way around. I think Danil will be a good choice for you. You others can all go and eat now."  
  
There was immediately a general rush for the stairs. Boys of that age always seemed to be hungry, especially with their regime. The boy from Trebond who had spoken earlier, wormed his way through at last as the scrum- like crowd thinned.  
"Danil of Trebond," he introduced himself. Yuri looked up and gasped as she met a startling clash of fiery hair and purple eyes.  
"Pleased to meet you. I'm, uh, Yancen of Coll."  
"This is my friend," Danil said, indicating a boy behind him. "Alanna of Masbolle."  
"Alan please," the girl said, wincing. Yuri felt a bit embarrassed - she of all people should have spotted Keladry's tomboy daughter. She did look like a boy, though. Yuri eyed her closely - they were cousins of a sort. She was the same age as Danil and Yurimi, but slightly taller than both of them. Her dark brown hair was closely cropped and she had her mother's hazel eyes.  
  
The pair took Yuri down to dinner, then along to the pages' library, although there were no assignments of course since it was so close to the exams. Even when they weren't working, the library had become a meeting place of a sort for the quieter pages who were happy just to sit and talk. A small number had been banned, because they weren't trusted near the books, but Alan and Danil weren't among them. 


	8. Chapter 8

Yurimi was overjoyed to discover that the exams were scheduled to begin the next day. Yuri was laced neatly into her dress uniform and Danil led her behind the others through to an antechamber leading onto the room where the tests were taking place that morning. One by one, the other first years were called out. Each went in turn, silently, wished good luck by their remaining friends. As the newest arrival to the palace, Yurimi would be called last. Finally, when she was the only one there, the steward put his head in and said,  
"Yancen of Coll, this way sir."  
  
Yuri followed him through a door and found herself on a stage, alone with some elderly knights. The 'audience' were the other pages, apart from the fourth years. They were far too busy preparing for their own, more important, examinations. The chief examiner got laboriously out of his chair and began to quiz Yurimi thoroughly on all of her classroom knowledge. Other than a few moments of panic when she grasped helplessly for the answer, she answered glibly, hands clasped tightly behind her back to stop them shaking with nerves. At last, the man nodded and sent her to sit down with the others. He then informed the gathered pages that they had all somehow managed to scrape through the morning's exams. One or two pages breathed sighs of relief at hearing that. The examiner then went on when everyone was quiet again.  
"High marks among the first years went to Danil of Trebond and Yancen of Coll. In the second year."  
  
Yuri smiled proudly. She had come top! It appeared that all of her work had paid off so far, but she still had to survive the afternoon.  
  
After eating lunch, the pages were tested in their physical prowess. Yuri found her weapons in her room and carried them down to the practice courts as she'd been told to do. Most pages she saw were carrying the standard weapons: sword, staff, bow and dagger. She carried her glaive as and extra. One second year boy had a sword belting on both sides.  
  
Since she'd been failed so dismally by Lord Wyldon, Lady Keladry had pulled strings and found a Shang warrior who would agree to teach her. There were Shang warrior resident at the palace these days, so it wouldn't be an unfair advantage for her.  
  
The opponent Yuri drew for unarmed combat was another first year, a boy called Geoffrey. He was tall for his age, and seemed confident of beating her. Yuri smiled sweetly at him and began, equally confident of her own skills, which had been honed against boys of sixteen. Within a minute, she was sitting unmoveably on his chest and the judges gave the match to her without a second thought.  
  
Then Yuri picked up her staff and lined up against Danil in the next court along. The judge's arm came down, and they were off. Danil was good, but no Yamani. She knew a number of odd manoeuvres that she had learned to transfer from the glaive to the staff. She let Danil keep going for a while, since she liked him and didn't want him disgraced, then came down sharply and knocked the staff to the ground, following up with a tap to the chest.  
  
When she drew an opponent for swords, Yuri was less lucky. It was still her worst skill by far, and she drew a second year page as her opponent - Francis of Contë. He appeared to be the boy she'd seen armed with two swords, and he'd had the finest tutors since he could walk.  
"I'll heal your bruises afterwards," Danil reassured her as she stretched before beginning. "He's amazing! Not even the fourth years can beat him." Yuri gulped and drew her sword, Francis drew his two in a fluid motion. Then Baron Owen held up his arm.  
"Just one sword I think, Francis. Yancen is only a first year, not a knight." Francis bowed, totally nonplussed.  
"Yes my lord." He grinned at Yuri and sheathed one sword, then tossed it over to a friend. At a word from Baron Owen, they stepped forwards and crossed swords. As the Training Master signalled, they began the fight. Yuri knew immediately she was outmatched. Before she'd even begun, she found herself on her back, with her sword lying halfway across the practice court and Francis's lightly touching her throat.  
"Match to Francis of Contë. Coll, report to the archery field. Contë report to court three." Yuri sighed with relief - at least it was over. Francis helped her up politely and they bowed to Baron Owen before jogging briskly off in opposite directions.  
  
After months of hard practice, Yuri found that she could now at least hit the target every time, even if it wasn't the gold. To her relief, Geoffrey ( the boy she'd fought earlier) was also doing archery, and he didn't appear to be doing any better than she normally did. She strung her bow quickly- that was the easy bit - and stood perfectly still while a knight checked her grip and stance. Then she was allowed to shoot. It was her lucky day - two of her ten shots hit in the gold and another three in the red. She jogged down to collect her arrows, returned them to the store and waited while Danil shot. He was much better than she was, hitting the gold seven times, and the red the other three.  
  
The last main exam she had to face was in riding and tilting. She gained admiring glances as she rode over on Cirrus - many of the pages still rode palace horses and wouldn't have their own until they were pages.  
"Nice horse," Danil said approvingly. "What's he called?"  
"Cirrus -it means cloud."  
"It's nice. May I try him sometime?"  
"Sure."  
  
The riding master had them trot round the ring clockwise and anti- clockwise, then allowed them to proceed to the tilting. Just a few weeks before she had left the north, something had suddenly clicked in her brain and she now often hit the target circle. Keladry had told her how to impress the examiners, so she waited eagerly for her turn. When the examiners called her up, Yuri kicked Cirrus comfortably into a canter, then a slow gallop. Since she'd given herself plenty of time to prepare, she hit the circle bang on and safely passed the sandbag to the applause of the watching pages. On her second run, more confident now, she went at the quintain at a full gallop. She hit the circle, but the lance shattered on impact.  
"Excellent, Coll," the examiner shouted from his place back with the pages. "Return your horse to the stables and report to the first practice court as soon as possible."  
  
Yuri waved her assent and rode off, feeling very smug. 


	9. Chapter 9

Muttering grimly under her breath at the number of places she'd been sent to in that afternoon alone, Yuri jogged back over to the first practice court. The only thing remaining, as far as she could remember, was the extra exam. This was a fairly newly introduced idea at the palace, started under Baron Owen, and was where pages demonstrated their abilities with weapons not taught as part of the standard training schedule. Yurimi had been asked to show her abilities with the glaive.  
  
When she arrived, she retrieved her glaive from the corner where she'd left it and sat down with the few other pages there in the spectator's gallery. Francis of Contë was warming up in the court itself with a knight Yuri didn't recognise. She tore her attention away from the young prince as Alan slid into the seat next to her.  
"Now we'll see something," she said excitedly. "Francis is amazing with one sword, as I guess you've found out - Danil told me about what happened earlier. With two swords, he's unbelievable! He beats lots of knights already, and he's only a second year."  
  
Yuri looked down again. He did have an unfair advantage in having learnt swordplay since he could walk, but he was still really good, and didn't seem to be arrogant with it.  
"Who's the knight with him?"  
"Oh, that's his tutor, Sir Gerald of Eagle's Rest. What are you here for, anyway? I'm doing glaive. What, you are too? Brilliant. I'd much rather fight you than the princess, and I thought that's who I'd have to fight 'cos we're the only ones who use glaives. The three over there use axes - not what I'd choose really, but I they seem to like it."  
  
Yuri agreed with her heartily - axes were large, unwieldy things compared to a beautifully crafted Yamani glaive. Alan fell silent as the match began - her attention was fixed entirely on the amazing skills being demonstrated. Yuri could now see what she'd meant - the swords were flashing lightning fast in an intricate, deadly dance. It seemed to be quite an even match, and it would be marvellous if the page could beat his tutor. The fight lasted for about five minutes, then Francis tripped over and rolled back up to find his teacher's sword at his throat.  
  
He yielded, of course, then stood up and bowed to Sir Martin, then to the examiner. He joined them in the seats once he'd sheathed his sword and brushed down his clothing.  
"Go Francis!" exclaimed Alan exuberantly. "You were brilliant! If you hadn't tripped over, you'd have won!"  
"I doubt it - Sir Gerald's really good, and he knows all of my tricks. Are you next? You do glaives, don't you? Hi," he said to Yuri. "I'm Francis of Contë, we fought earlier, didn't we?"  
"Yes, I'm Yancen of Coll. I'm doing glaives too, with Alan, I guess."  
"That would be the standard assumption. She'd quite good, I think, but then I'm no expert. Mother tried to teach me when I was younger, but I had great problems with it. I still have problems with staffs - I know how illogical that sounds, but it's true. You're not bad with a sword, by the way. Your style's especially good; you just need more practice. Have you only just started?"  
"Uh, yes, how did you know?"  
"That would be telling. Oh, all right. You only know the very standard moves: not the tricks that I like to use. Your teacher's must have been good to bring you on that much in what, a year?"  
  
"Alanna of Masbolle, Yancen of Coll. Glaives," the examiner announced, interrupting their talk. The two of them went down into the court and unsheathed their glaives. Princess Shinkokami was judging this one, as she was Yamani and the best fighter with a glaive in the palace. They bowed to her Yamani style and began.  
  
Yurimi felt that Keladry had taught her daughter well, but she wasn't Yamani like Yuri's own mother, and hadn't had so much in the way of training herself. At last, the princess called out,  
"Match to Yancen of Coll!"  
  
They stopped immediately with a speed only great skill and discipline can imbed and bowed to each other properly, then to the princess before they were allowed to leave.  
"You're really good," Alan said, not jealous at all. "Can I train with you? Hey Francis - hurry up! Come on Yancen, we still have to wash before supper, and I don't want punishment work today of all days for being late. I have enough to worry about with the exams, even if I have passed, and Baron Owen always picks on people with outstanding punishment work for the worst jobs on the summer expedition. You are coming, aren't you?"  
"If I'm allowed."  
"You will be, you're really good." 


	10. Chapter 10

The very welcome celebratory dinner that night was a lavish affair, when the pages and new squires were entertained with jugglers and acrobats whilst eating much more extravagant food than they normally got. A servant ran in near the end, and spoke quietly and urgently to Baron Owen, then sprinted out again, looking very apprehensive. Most of the boys didn't seem to have noticed this happen, although Yuri, jumpy as she already was, did.  
  
The whole hall fell immediately silent when the Training Master rose from his seat.  
"Yancen of Coll," he announced clearly. "Report to the council room as soon as you've finished eating. I believe you know the way."  
"Yes, my lord," Yuri said, her voice starting to quaver with anticipation. They must have found her out and she was going to be punished by the king himself.  
  
Alan tactfully nudged Yuri with her elbow.  
"What do you think he wants?" she asked, not seeming to realise the other page might not want to talk about it.  
"I don't know," Yuri replied, although she'd guessed the main cause. Suddenly, despite the tempting food, she was no longer at all hungry. She gave the last remnants of her meal to Alan, who was perfectly happy to stuff herself until she was sick. Then she bowed to Baron Owen and left the happy noise of the pages.  
  
She trailed mournfully into the royal wing of the palace, up to the council room where her parents had taken her once before. If she didn't have such a good memory, it would have been totally unfair to ask her to find her way based on a seven-year-old's memory, but hey, who said authority was fair?  
  
The doors to the chamber were propped open and Yuri stopped outside. Two of the King's Own stood guard outside, neither of whom she recognised. The king must be there if his guards were.  
"In you go, page," one said kindly. "They're expecting you." Yuri gulped audibly and he smiled.  
"Don't be nervous, they won't kill you."  
  
She glared at him for saying she was scared (even though she was, it wasn't nice to say a noble was nervous), and stepped through the doors. She bowed, straightened and looked around. King Jonathan was sitting at the head of the table with Queen Thayet. Various other nobles were sitting on the two long sides. Yuri could see her parents were there, and so were a few other familiar faces to her. Merric of Hollyrose, Raoul and Buri of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak, Keladry and Domitan of Masbolle and Alanna the Lioness.  
  
The king did not look happy. Alanna was grinning broadly. Merric looked guilty, but Keladry was smiling smugly - she had known Yuri could do it all along. Yurimi's father, Nealan of Queenscove, looked confused and betrayed.  
"Well, Page Yurimi," his Majesty said, his voice heavily laced with irony. "It seems we have a situation."  
"Uh, yes your majesty?" she said uncertainly.  
"You disobeyed my instructions, along with various members of my council who ought to know better." Yuri felt somewhat guilty at that, but he was glaring meaningfully at his Champion. Alanna grinned mischievously back at him, very satisfied at this reaction despite her advancing years.  
  
Yuri looked up hopefully as he continued gravely.  
"However, you have proved yourself one of the best pages we have at the palace today, along with Danil of Trebond, Alanna of Masbolle and Francis of Contë, and your combat experience makes you priceless to me. You may remain at the palace and complete your training as a page, but when you return to the palace next autumn after the summer expedition and the summer break, you will be serving one bell of punishment work in the armoury for the first ten Sundays.  
"Thank you, your Majesty!" Yuri exclaimed, surprised and overjoyed by this news. He smiled indulgently - at least he could admit he was wrong with a free heart.  
  
That seemed to be a signal for the solemnity of the council to break up. Keladry came racing round the table and hugged her jubilantly and the others, even the few like Buri of Goldenlake whom she hadn't met recently weren't slow in offering their own congratulations. Her father admitted he'd been wrong, her mother said she was proud.  
  
The success Yuri felt that evening was topped easily, when Baron Owen of Jesslaw burst in at a run, with a lack of dignity more appropriate for one of the young harum-scarum pages he was teaching. When he had recovered his breath sufficiently to talk coherently, he managed to gasp out,  
"Have I missed anything, Kel?" 


End file.
